NEAR WEST SIDE — The Malcolm X College parking lot has been chosen as ground zero for a new and improved campus for the school.
Construction of a 500,000-square-foot campus, slated to begin in the winter of 2014, was put to community members Wednesday night during a forum at the college.
Alderman Walter Burnett (27th) and college officials were on hand to walk residents through the $251 million construction aimed at health and science-related careers for Malcolm X students.
The building will be located north of the school's current building and just south from the United Center.
Of the two buildings shown in "mock-ups" during the presentation, one, devoted to health sciences, will be eight stories and "will model what it's like to perform in a professional setting," according to Jim Jankowski of Cannon Design.
The construction will have a "major impact on the Near West Side," Burnett said, including job opportunities and educational advancement for residents.
The building is scheduled to be completed by December 2015 and open to students the following month.
Editors note: This story previously stated the incorrect cost of the Malcolm X new campus cost. It has be updated with the correct amount. We regret the error.
